In April, OHA began working with Fostoria Community Hospital, a member of the ProMedica Health System, on an employee engagement program on grassroots advocacy. After meeting with FCH and ProMedica management, program goals were identified as being:

• Employees, their family, physicians, volunteers, and board members will become more civically engaged in issues and decisions that impact the hospital and community.
   

• Program participants:

  - Are able to identify the top 3 policy issues important to the hospital;
  - Develop relationships with eleccted officials:
  - Learn more about key issues that affect the hospital and patients
    and are pleased with the communication they receive;
  - Strongly consider how issues impact the hospital when casting a
    vote.

In May, OHA conducted an online/mail-in survey to:

–        All 320 Employees;

–        All 115 Volunteers;

–        All 90 Staff Physicians;

–        All 19 Board members.

Among many findings, the survey indicated that individuals were less knowledgeable about government actions that impact the hospital than actions impacting the community and that individuals currently are not well positioned to be good hospital and community advocates:

• 59.3% of respondents had little or no extent of engagement on issues affecting FCH or the community;

• 43.6% of respondents felt that they had little or no ability to influence issues which impact FCH and the community.

In late July, a design team, comprised of managerial and front-line staff, volunteers and a board member will work with an OHA facilitator to create a grassroots advocacy program at Fostoria Community Hospital. A second survey will be conducted in 2008 to reevaluate attitudes, measure progress and to allow the design team to recalibrate the program.

Check back in early August for an update on Fostoria’s progress in creating a grassroots advocacy program and in coming months for “Spotlights” on additional hospital initiatives to create a culture of engagement.

Contacts
Dan Paoletti
Senior Director, Business Development and Consulting

Nancy Melcher-Webb
Director, OHA Solutions Staffing Program

Amy Bangert
Manager of Workforce Initiatives

Jeff Klingler
Director of State Policy & Advocacy